Coleton Baker’s Inspiring Play Not Enough for Victory

By Richard Dye · The Mainstream
Published Fubruary 22, 2012

Losing the tip off, the Riverhawk men allowed the Mt. Hood Saints to score the first bucket of the evening, setting the tone for a brisk February Saturday night.

Giving the Riverhawks their first basket and inspiration of the evening was Coleton Baker, who took flight at the basket with a behind the back lay-up and a fury that surprised a growing crowd.

“Once we get a couple of buckets, the team feeds off of each other well,” said Baker.

However the Riverhawks only lead once in the first half with seven minutes remaining.

Unable to get inside the paint and plagued with fouls and dropped passes, the Riverhawks would trail until halftime, leaving the court with the Saints leading 23-29.

“We like being physical,” said Colby Mitchell of the saints.

Despite being outscored and outnumbered by the Saint’s deep bench, there was still fight left in the Riverhawks after the halftime break. Spurred by a series of three pointers by Baker, they gained their second lead of the evening.

“It’s not going to go that far if we can’t get past that mental barrier,” said center Jordan Kirksey.

The Saints remained in control of the key and the game’s tempo as precious time continued to tick off the clock.

The Saints dominated the offensive boards as some Saints possessions lasted nearly two minutes.

“The kids were gassed at that point, the dead ball rebounds were a killer,” said coach Richard Robles.

With only four games left in the season, the Riverhawk men have been virtually knocked out of playoff contention.

“Now we are playing for pride; we want to end the season on a positive note,” said Robles.

Fortune failed to shine on the Riverhawks, as they could only pull within three points of the Saints with 1:30 left to play. Eventually the clock ran itself to zero as the Riverhawk men, fell to the Saints 62-70.